Folding devices for a rotary printing press, which have a folding jaw cylinder and a folding cylinder working together with the folding jaw cylinder are known from DE 195 09 947 A1, as well as from DE 195 25 169 C2. In connection with these folding devices, it is disadvantageous that the product guidance is complicated. Thus, a signature arriving from a cutting groove cylinder must first be transferred to a folding jaw cylinder, and from there to a transverse folding cylinder before it reaches a belt guidance system, which conveys the product to a delivery device. The transverse folding cylinder of these folding devices must continuously run during production, even if it is not used for creating a transverse fold, since it is needed for conveying the signatures. Transfer or hand-over errors between the cylinders can lead to so-called “paper plugs”, which can result in damage to the cylinders.
DE 43 18 133 A1 describes a folding device, which selectively creates products with a transverse fold in a first operating mode, and in a second operating mode, forms products with an additional second transverse fold. A first and second folding blade cylinder is arranged for this, wherein the signatures of the products of the second folding blade cylinder are selectively stripped off by means of belts.
DE 36 36 244 C2 discloses a folding device with a pivotable stapling cylinder, which selectively works together with a first or second folding jaw cylinder.